What does “value” mean in painting?
In painting, value means how light or dark something is, independent of its color. A pale yellow and a pale blue can share a similar value, and a dark red and a dark green can too. Tonal value and tone are terms used for the same idea.
Do not confuse this with the monetary value of a finished oil painting, which depends on factors such as the artist, condition and provenance. This article is about light and dark within the picture.
Value is often described as the skeleton of a painting. If the values are right, colors can be imprecise and the picture still works. If the values are wrong, even carefully matched colors can look flat or confusing.
Why value matters so much
- It creates form. A sphere looks round because of a gradual shift from light to shadow.
- It creates focus. The area of strongest value contrast usually draws the eye first, which ties into composition.
- It creates depth. Distant objects tend to have less contrast and a narrower range of values.
- It creates mood. A high-key picture (mostly light values) feels different from a low-key one (mostly dark values).
The value scale
A value scale is a row of steps from white to black. Many teachers use nine or ten steps, though some use as few as five. You can make one with white and black paint, or with white and a dark mixed from your own colors, mixing each step and placing it in a row. Beginners are often surprised how much of the scale a painting actually needs, and how the middle values do much of the work.
To use the scale, hold a color mixture up against it, or squint at your subject and match it to the closest step.
How to see value
- Squint. Narrowing your eyes reduces detail and color, so big masses of light and dark stand out.
- Use a grayscale reference. Convert your photo to black and white on a screen, or look at the scene through a red filter or a monochrome app. This makes value relationships easier to read.
- Compare, don’t guess. Value is relative. Ask whether one shape is lighter or darker than its neighbor, not how light it is in absolute terms.
- Step back. Check the painting from a distance, or view it in a mirror or a photo, to spot errors.
Simplify into value masses
Instead of painting dozens of small values, group them. A common approach is to reduce a scene to three or four masses: light, light-middle, dark-middle and dark. Everything within the light mass should be lighter than anything in the shadow mass, even if the local colors vary. This keeps the form clear. It is also a useful way to start the block-in in the oil painting method.
Value studies and charts
A value study is a small, quick sketch or painting done in a limited range of tones to plan a picture. Some painters do them in charcoal or pencil, others in oil using one color and white. Doing one before the painting helps settle the composition and the light. Watercolor painters plan lights and darks in a similar way; see value in watercolor painting.
Value or color charts are another exercise. A grid is painted with each color shown at several values, or each column mixes one hue with white in steps. This teaches how a pigment changes as it lightens and darkens, and shows which of your colors are naturally dark or light. For example, yellows tend to be naturally light and some blues and earth colors tend to be naturally dark. Doing this chart with a limited palette connects naturally to oil painting color theory.
Working on a toned ground
If you paint on a mid-tone ground, you can add darks and lights from the middle outward. This makes it easier to judge values than on bright white. See our guide to toning a canvas for oil painting.
Common mistakes
- Too narrow a range. Painting everything in the middle values gives a flat, muddy result.
- Shadows too light. Beginners often make shadows lighter and more colorful than they are, losing the sense of light.
- Lights too bright too early. Saving the brightest highlight for last leaves room to push contrast where it counts.
- Matching color without checking value. A hue match can be correct while the value is far off.
- Equal contrast everywhere. Keep the strongest contrast at the focal point and soften it elsewhere, including the background.
A simple exercise
Choose two or three objects with a clear light source. Make a small thumbnail of three value masses, then paint a monochrome study of about 20 minutes in one dark color and white. Repeat with the light source in a different position. Over several sessions you will recognize the pattern of light more quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What does “value” mean in painting?
It is how light or dark a color is, regardless of hue.
What are tonal values in art?
Tonal values are the range of lights, mid-tones and darks in an image, often described on a scale from white to black.
What are the seven art principles?
Lists vary, but they commonly include balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm and unity. Value is usually treated as an element of art rather than a principle, and it supports several of these principles.